I would like to direct your attention to Kanye West’s lyrics that you may have skipped over: “2020, I’ma run the whole election, yah / I’ve been trending years, y’all a couple days.” His words verbatim. Keep these lyrics in mind fore I will revisit them.
Controversy has surrounded Kanye West and his support for President Donald Trump since he declared that he would have voted for him in 2016. When it comes to controversy and West though, what else is news?
In 2005, the nation had just witnessed Hurricane Katrina, which flooded the city of New Orleans. Support was crucial to help save the city and what better way to raise relief funds than having a national telethon.
While on air, next to Michael Myers, a young West with newfound fame vehemently stated, “George Bush does not like black people.”
This would not be the last time he shocked the world as who could forget the infamous MTV Video Music Awards moment when ‘Ye’ interrupted Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech for best video of the year. West grabbed the mic and began to state his opinion on who deserved the award for the best video that year, Beyonce.
West seems to understand that there is no such thing as bad publicity. Him visiting Trump is just another example of that. I mean, what’s more alarming than a black rapper who spoke out against a former president’s neglect of black citizens supporting a president whose family has a history of racial housing discrimination?
Despite what your thoughts on West are, it is important to remember the concept that the music industry is built on entertainment and controversy. West knows what he is doing. Even if he doesn’t believe that Trump is the best president, he understands that most people do not see it that way and will be damned if an African-American man believes this nonetheless.
His previous actions have had positive and negative effects on his image, but if controversy and attention are the goals, then West has been successful. Unfortunately, his image in the eyes of common people may have been tarnished.
As someone who fell in love with the soul-sampling, fashion-pioneering, conscious-rapping West, his recent actions led me to question where his mental state is. That was until I realized who this man is: a narcissistic visionary who does not take no for an answer and does what he says he will do.
So, when Kanye states, “2020, I’ma run the whole election, yah,” I believe him, and this is the means he will take to get there.
Was this staged? Of course. Staged for record sales? No. Staged for his political agenda? Absolutely. It is important to address what was discussed during West’s visit: prison reform. More specifically, West wanted to discuss the case of Gangster Disciple leader Larry Hoover. So much for the “sunken place.”
West is his own man, with his own mind that is so far removed from common life that his thought process is different. If the “Make America Great Again” hat makes him feel like a superhero, then so be it.
Who are we to take that feeling from him? Hell, who are we to judge West for his actions? It does not matter if I believe, agree or disagree with him. What matters is what West thinks of himself once he goes to bed at night.
